Primulina jiuyishanica (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Hunan, China

PhytoKeys 162: 37-44 (2020) A peer-reviewed open-access journal

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doi: 10.3897/phytokeys. | 62.53763 4¢Ph y toKe y S

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Primulina jiuyishanica (Gesneriaceae),
a new species from Hunan, China

Kun Liu", De-Chang Meng”*’, Zhang-Jie Huang*?,
Stephen Maciejewski?*, Zi-Bing Xin*?

| Jindong Forest Farm, Yongzhou 426191, China 2 Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Re-
storation Ecology in Karst Terrain, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region and
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin 541006, China 3 Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (GCCC),
Guilin Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin 541006, China 4 The Gesneriad Society, 2030
Fitzwater Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA

Corresponding author: Zi-Bing Xin (xinzibing@163.com)

Academic editor: Alan Paton | Received 29 April 2020 | Accepted 4 September 2020 | Published 7 October 2020

Citation: Liu K, Meng D-C, Huang Z-J, Maciejewski S, Xin Z-B (2020) Primulina jiuyishanica (Gesneriaceae), a new
species from Hunan, China. PhytoKeys 162: 37-44. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.162.53763

Abstract

Primulina jiuyishanica K. Liu, D.C. Meng & Z.B. Xin, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Hunan,
China, is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to Primulina fimbrisepala
(Hand.-Mazz.) Yin Z. Wang, but differs in its elliptic to broadly elliptic leaf blade with broadly cuneate
base, peduncle densely pubescent with sparse glandular hairs, corolla throat with no purple spots inside,
the yellow patch in the throat densely glandular-pubescent and pistil densely glandular-pubescent. Photo-
graphs and descriptions of the new species are provided below.

Keywords

Didymocarpoideae, flora of Hunan, Primulina fimbrisepala, taaonomy

Introduction

Since the original monotypic genus Primulina was redefined in 2011 (Wang et al.
2011; Weber et al. 2011), many taxa new to science have been published by taxono-
mists and researchers, making it the largest genus of the Chinese Gesneriaceae (Wen

* ‘These authors contributed equally to this work as first authors.

Copyright Kun Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0),
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

38 Kun Liu et al. / PhytoKeys 162: 37-44 (2020)

et al. 2019, 2020; Moller 2019). For instance, a total of 9 new species and one variety
of Primulina were published in 2019, including P purpureokylin F. Wen, Yi Huang &
W.C. Chou, P persica E Wen, Yi Huang & W.C. Chou, P cerina F. Wen, Yi Huang
& W.C. Chou, P niveolanosa F. Wen, S. Li & W.C. Chou, P leiyyi F Wen, Z.B. Xin
& W.C. Chou (Li et al. 2019), P serrulata R.B. Zhang & F. Wen (Jiang et al. 2019),
P. anisocymosa F. Wen, Xin Hong & Z.J. Qiu (Hong et al. 2019), P chingipengii WB.
Xu & K.E Chung (Xu et al. 2019), P Lanchengensis B.J. Ye & S.P. Chen (Ye et al. 2019)
and P sichuanensis (W.T. Wang) Mich. Moller & A. Weber var. pinnatipartita H.H.
Kong & L.H. Yang (Konget al. 2019). As this trend persists, more new species will
likely be discovered in the near future (Mller 2019). Primulina, which mainly grows
in limestone areas, are found only in southern and southwestern China and northern
Vietnam (Moller et al. 2016). In all, 197 species and 27 varieties of Primulina exist at
present, including 183 species and 27 varieties recorded from China and 21 species
recorded from Vietnam (H6 2000; Burtt 2002; Weber et al. 2011; Moller et al. 2016;
IPNI 2020; Wen et al. 2020).

In 2016, one of the authors (LK) discovered some plants in the Jiuyishan National
Nature Reserve, Hunan Province, China, which possibly represented an undescribed
species. Some living plants were mailed to the Gesneriad Conservation Center of China
(GCCC) for observation and conservation. Those living individuals were introduced
and cultivated in the gardens of the GCCC, and the lead author continuously moni-
tored the population in the wild for several years. A detailed comparison of these speci-
mens and living plant materials with the type specimens and protologues of known
Primulina species revealed that these specimens neither fit the existing protologues
nor conform to the type specimens of these species. Nevertheless, the inflorescence,
shape and color of the corolla, stamens and staminodes are most similar to those of P
fimbrisepala (Hand.-Mazz.) Yin Z. Wang. It can be distinguished from the latter by a
combination of several morphological characters of the leaf blade, peduncle, corolla
throat and pistil. Thus, we confirmed that it represents a new species of Primulina, and
described and illustrated it here. The description, illustration, information on ecology,
phenology, and provisional conservation assessment by using IUCN categories and
criteria (2019) of the proposed new species are also provided.

Methods

The plant material for description was collected in the field at its type locality in 2017.
Morphological observations and dissections of plant material of this new species were
made under a stereoscopic microscope and measured and described using the termi-
nology used by Wang et al. (1998). The literature examined included related mono-
graphs and papers (e.g., Wood 1974; Wang et al. 1998; Li and Wang 2004; Weber
2004; Haston and De Craene 2007; Chen et al. 2008; Wei et al. 2010). Specimens
stored in herbaria in China, Vietnam, the United States and the United Kingdom (E,
GH, HN, IBK, K, KUN, MO, PE, PH, US and VNMN) were examined.

A new Primulina from China 39

Taxonomic treatment

Primulina jiuyishanica K. Liu, D.C. Meng & Z.B. Xin, sp. nov.
urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77211929-1
Figure 1

Diagnosis. Primulina jiuyishanica resembles P fimbrisepala (Fig. 2) in having similar
inflorescence and corolla color, but can be distinguished by its leaf blade being elliptic
to broadly elliptic, base broadly cuneate (vs. blade ovate, broadly ovate to suborbicular,
base cordate), peduncle densely pubescent with sparse glandular hairs (vs. eglandular-
pubescent to appressed pilose), corolla throat with no purple spots inside (vs. corolla
throat with few to many purple spots inside), the yellow patch in the throat densely
glandular-pubescent (vs. densely eglandular-pubescent) and pistil densely glandular-
pubescent (vs. eglandular-pubescent).

Type. Cutna. Hunan Province, Yongzhou City, Ningyuan County, Jiuyishan Na-
tional Nature Reserve, growing on a granite rock in the forest in a damp and moist val-
ley, alt. 900-1300 m, 14 April 2017, Kun Liu 20170414-01 (holotype: IBK!; isotypes:
IBK!, KUN)).

Description. Herbs perennial, rhizomatous. Stem subterete, ca. 6 cm long, ca.
2 cm in diameter. Leaves 4—6, basal, opposite; leaf blade thickly chartaceous, elliptic
to broadly elliptic, 6-9 x 6—7 cm, margin conspicuously serrate, lateral veins 4—5 on
each side, abaxially conspicuous, apex obtuse, base broadly cuneate, oblique or slightly
asymmetric, adaxially densely pubescent with sparse glandular hairs, abaxially densely
pubescent. Petiole flattened, 4-5 cm long, ca. 0.5 cm wide, densely villous. Cymes
1—5 or more, axillary, 1-2-branched, 2—14-flowers per cyme; peduncles 6-8 cm long,
2.5-3 mm in diameter, densely pubescent with sparse glandular hairs; pedicel 1—2.3
cm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter, densely pubescent with sparse glandular hairs; bracts
2, opposite, narrowly lanceolate, 1.1—1.2 cm long, 2—3.5 mm wide, sparse hydathodes,
both surfaces sparsely pubescent; bracteole 1, lanceolate, 3—5 mm long, 1-2 mm wide,
sparse hydathodes, both surfaces sparsely pubescent. Calyx 5-parted to near base, lobes
narrowly lanceolate, 5-7 x 2-3 mm, sparse hydathodes on each side; apex acute, out-
side densely pubescent, inside subglabrous. Corolla pink to bluish violet, 4-4.5 cm
long, 2.6-3 cm wide; corolla tube funnelform, 2.5—-3 cm long, 1.2—1.5 cm in di-
ameter, outside glandular-pubescent, inside glabrous; with two distinct longitudinal
ridges on the corolla tube floor; a yellow patch at corolla throat extends to the middle
of the corolla tube, densely glandular-pubescent; limb distinctly 2-lipped, adaxial lip
2-lobed, lobes broadly ovate, abaxial lip 3-lobed, middle lobe narrowly orbiculate or
broadly ovate, lateral lobes oval or oblong. Stamens 2, adnate to ca. 1.4 cm above the
base of the corolla tube; 9-10 mm long, terete, geniculate near middle, knee greenish
yellow, the rest white, sparsely glandular-pubescent; anthers fused by the entire adaxial
surfaces, abaxially densely whitish pubescent; staminodes 3, lateral ones ca. 4 mm
long, adnate to ca. 9 mm above the base of the corolla tube, terete, apically capitate, the
middle one ca. 0.9 mm long, adnate to ca. 1.5 mm above the base of the corolla tube.

40 Kun Liu et al. / PhytoKeys 162: 37-44 (2020)

Figure |. Primulina jiuyishanica A habitat B—C habit with flowers D cultivated plant E opened corolla

F (1) adaxial surfaces of calyx lobes (2) abaxial surfaces of calyx lobes G inflorescence H bracts I inflores-
cence after the corolla shedding J dissected ovary, disc and pedicel K stamens L abaxial and adaxial surfaces

of leaf blades (Photographed by Fang Wen).

Dise annular, ca. 1 mm high, margin repand. Pistil 3.1-3.6 cm long; ovary cylindrical,
1.2—1.6 cm long, ca. 4.5 mm in diameter, densely glandular-pubescent to glandular-
puberulent; style 1.5-1.6 cm long, 1—-1.5 mm in diameter, densely glandular-pubes-
cent to glandular-puberulent; stigma chiritoid, lower lobe ca. 1 mm wide, divided,
lobes ca. 4 mm long. Capsule linear, 5—5.5 cm long, densely glandular-pubescent to
glandular-puberulent.

Distribution and habitat. We found eight populations in different places of Jiuyis-
han National Nature Reserve for the new species through several field investigations. It
grows on granite rocks, in association with Pileostegia viburnoides Hook. f. & Thoms.,
Hedera sinensis (Tobl.) Hand.-Mazz, Euonymus actinocarpus Loes., Viola kosanensis

A new Primulina from China 4]

Figure 2. Primulina fimbrisepala (A-G) A habitat B habit in wild with flowers C inflorescence D two
distinct long longitudinal ridges on the corolla tube floor E opened corolla F stamens G bracts. (A=

B: Photographed by Xiao-Ning You; C—G: Photographed by De-Chang Meng).

Hayata, Lysimachia congestiflora Hemsl., Goodyera biflora (Lindl.) Hook. £., Phyllagathis
cavaleriei Guillaum. and Dryopteris Adans. spp. in the forest in a damp and moist valley.
Phenology. Flowering from April to May; fruiting from June to August.
Etymology. ‘The specific epithet is derived from the type locality, Jiuyishan Na-
tional Nature Reserve, Hunan Province, China.
Vernacular name. 7L3¢ LUdkK# Et & (Chinese name); jiti yi shan bao chin ju tai
(Chinese pronunciation).

42 Kun Liu et al. / PhytoKeys 162: 37-44 (2020)

Conservation status. The EOO and AOO of Primulina jiuyishanica are 54.28
km? and 5.2 km’ respectively. So far, only eight populations of this species were found
located in a nature reserve. However, we believe that more populations will be found
in the future, and the EOO and AOO might increase. The eight populations have in
total more than 3000 mature plants in the type locality, and additionally many seed-
lings were found. The plants are well protected in the nature reserve. According to the
guidelines for using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN 2019), the
new species should be assessed as of Least Concern (LC).

Note. In figure 2, A and B were published in Wei et al. 2010, page 374, 375, under
the name of Chirita juliae Hance, now Primulina juliae (Hance) Mich. Moller & A.
Weber. In fact, A and B are P fimbrisepala (Hand.-Mazz.) Yin Z. Wang.

Acknowledgments

We thank Fang Wen and Xiao-Ning You for their photographs and Fang Wen for his
guidance on this paper. This study was financially supported by the National Nat-
ural Science Foundation of China (31860047), the Natural Science Foundation of
Guangxi (2017GXNSFAA198006), the Fund of Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant
Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain (19-050-6), the Key Sci. &
Tech. Research and Development Project of Guangxi (Guike AB16380053; Guike
AD20159091), Guilin Science and Technology Foundation (20180107-6), the Basal
Research Fund of GXIB (Guizhiye20009), the 21* Talent project of “Ten-Hundred-
Thousand” in Guangxi, Special Funds for Forestry and Technology Innovation in Hu-
nan ([2019] no. 28) and Hunan Wildlife Resources Protection Project ([2019] no. 22).
Special thanks to Michael LoFurno, Adjunct Professor, Temple University, Philadel-
phia, USA, for his editorial assistance.

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